M5S risks split over dissident ejections

Four Senators considering quitting parliament

(see related story)
(ANSA) - Rome, February 26 - The anti-establishment 5-Star
Movement (M5S) is in danger of splitting after a majority of its
lawmakers voted to eject four Senators who criticised leader
Beppe Grillo.

The four will be definitively expelled if an online vote on
comedian-turned-polician Grillo's blog ratifies the decision.

The outcome of the poll is expected at 19:00 Italian time.

Grillo called on M5S supporters to oust Senators Lorenzo
Battista, Fabrizio Bocchino, Francesco Campanella and Luis
Alberto Orellana, saying they were "no longer in sync with the
movement".

The four were critical after Grillo erupted with an angry
barrage and would not allow any else to speak without
interrupting during government-formation "consultations" with
Premier Matteo Renzi a week ago.

The dissidents refused to quit the movement, arguing it
should tolerate internal debate.
Several other M5S lawmakers have defended their right to
criticise even if they do not agree with what the dissidents
said.

Six M5S Senators reportedly left their resignations from
the movement in protest over the case on a table after storming
out of a party meeting on the issue Wednesday.

There are rumours of a breakaway group of rebels against
Grillo's line being formed in the Lower House.
"Maximum solidarity for the Senators," posted M5S MP
Alessio Tacconi on his Twitter account.
"Consider me the fifth (dissident)".
The four lawmakers on the verge of being expelled released
a video Wednesday defending themselves.

"So what if we spoke nonsense?," said Battista. "Is it
normal to expel us for nonsense?".

Campanella objected too.

"We are the movement of direct democracy and we cannot
even say that something could have been done better. Are we
joking?," he said.
The M5S, which selects its candidates and policies via
online polls of supporters, ejected two parliamentarians last
year for expressing dissent.
Senator Adele Gambaro was thrown out in June after blaming
Grillo for the party's poor showing at a round of local
elections.
Another Senator, Marino Mastrangeli, was voted out in April
for breaking a ban on appearing on television chat shows, which
Grillo says are rigged to favour the established parties along
much of the rest of the Italian media.

Some M5S members are hoping a split can be averted.

"I still hope there is a chance of patching things up,"
said Senator Maurizio Buccarella.

"We are discussing things. The resignations (of the four
Senators threatening to quit in protest) have not yet been
handed in".
The M5S won around a quarter of the vote at last year's
inconclusive general election after railing against the existing
party system it claims has generated corruption, debt,
unemployment and economic decline.